This invention relates to a golf game apparatus and particularly one which comprises a practice device for golfers.
Many golfers want to practice their driver or fairway woods but are required to either hit balls into an adjacent netting or use a practice range at a golf club or a commercial driving range facility. This requires two objectionable features: placing a ball on the tee after each hit and physically picking up the balls at the net or on the range.
Various devices have been proposed for providing a simulated ball which can be stroked by a golf club so that the ball effectively remains captive within the system while generating information to the user as to the effectiveness of the stroke made on the ball member.
Such devices are proposed to eliminate the tedious chores stated above and to allow the golfer to concentrate more upon making the correct contact with the ball.
Many of the simulated golf game devices are highly complex in nature and include displays which show simulated golf games including movement of the ball towards a green and further electronic simulations coupling on the base member arranged. These devices are therefore highly complex and highly expensive and thus have a limited market often as coin operated devices so the capital equipment is used on an extensive basis to justify the high initial cost.
It is one object of the present invention to provide an improved device which is of a relatively simple nature both in structural and electronics terms so that it can be manufactured and sold at a relatively low price and allow purchase of units for individual use by golfers or as practice units on golf courses where the capital equipment cost can be justified as a service to the members rather than as a cost which must be recovered by charging fees for practice shots.
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided therefore a golf game apparatus comprising a base member having a lower surface for resting upon the ground, an upper surface spaced from the lower surface and upstanding side surfaces interconnecting the upper and lower surfaces, a simulated ball member, means mounting the ball member on the base member such that it projects upwardly from the upper surface add such that it is allowed captive movement relative thereto when struck by a golf club in a direction along the upper surface, a display head member having a head and a support arm and means for mounting the display head member at a position to one side of the base member, wherein said base member is substantially rectangular and is of a size sufficient substantially only to receive said ball member and insufficient to receive feet of a user when positioned in a golfing stance relative to the ball member, said arm being inclined upwardly and outwardly away from said base member so as to present said head at a position spaced away from said base member and wherein said ball member is mounted upon one end of a flexible shaft and wherein is provided pivot means mounting an opposed end of said flexible shaft on said base member for pivotal movement thereon about a substantially horizontal axis such that said shaft can move from a substantially vertical position presenting said ball member upwardly for hitting by a club to an impacted position in which the shaft is substantially horizontal and wherein there is provided means for sensing a velocity of movement of said shaft from said vertical position to said impacted position and means for sensing a twisting movement of said shaft.
According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a golf game apparatus comprising a base member having a lower surface for resting upon the ground, an upper surface spaced from the lower surface and upstanding side surfaces interconnecting the upper and lower surfaces, a simulated ball member, means mounting the ball member on the base member such that it projects upwardly from the upper surface and such that it is allowed captive movement relative thereto when struck by a golf club in a direction along the upper surface, a display head member having a head and a support arm and means for mounting the display head member at a position to one side of the base member said display head member including digital display means for displaying a distance of movement of a ball, means for calculating electronically said distance in dependence upon movement of said ball member caused by impact from the stroke of a club, and means for indicating a degree of lateral movement of said ball caused by spin applied to the ball from the impact of the stroke of a club.
The device according to the invention can include on the display head a digital display which displays the distance in yards or meters that a real golf ball would have travelled by a similar hit. The speed at which the golf club moves the captive or simulated ball is sampled electronically and after a brief computational time the appropriate distance is displayed at the display head by three lighted digital readout numbers.
For added enjoyment and just prior to the digital display, a beeping sound or series of sound pulses signals the relative distance hit with the longer the distance of the hit, the longer the period of the total of the pulses. Also, as part of the display, five light emitting diodes can be installed in the display head with one central diode and two diodes to either side of the central diode. When the ball has been hit relatively straight as determined by measuring the twist applied to the simulated ball, the center light is illuminated. If the ball is hooked or sliced to one side or the other one of the side diodes will be illuminated depending upon the degree of hook or slice determined by the amount of spin on the ball.
The electronic circuitry has been designed on a printed circuit board so that it completely fits in the display head. The only wires outside the head are those connecting to the sensors in the simulated ball device and wires for the power supply. All electronics are supplied by a low voltage 12 VDC power source. When battery operated, the batteries are located in a concealed location in the base member. A transformer for 110 VAC can be mounted in the same position.
In essence therefore, there are three basic response signals which show up each time the golfer hits the ball. These are the beeping sound for simulating the movement of the ball, one of the led light units for transverse accuracy, hook or slice, and finally the three digit display for yards or meters. After this sequence is complete, the electronic system automatically recycles to a start setting until the ball is hit and the procedure is repeated.
To accommodate the left-handed golfer, it is only necessary to remove the display head and support as a unit from the coupling on one side of the base member and insert it into a similar coupling on the other side of the base member. To complete the transformation the separate golfer stand can be moved to the other side of the ball unit and positioned as required for the golfer's stance.
The device can be completely portable in that by removing the display head and support arm from its coupling on the base member, the display head and support arm can be stored underneath the base member and then the base member inserted into the stand for receiving the golfers' feet so the total unit folds up into a suitcase sized portable package which can thus be simply transported.